Published: December 24, 2007

''National Treasure: Book of Secrets,'' starring Nicolas Cage (right, with Helen Mirren, center, and Diane Kruger) as the heroic archaeologist Ben Franklin Gates, led the way as three new films elbowed into the Top 5 moneymakers at North American theaters on the last weekend before Christmas. ''Treasure'' (distributed by Disney) grossed $45.5 million, according to estimates by the box-office tracking company Media by Numbers. ''Charlie Wilson's War'' (Universal), starring Tom Hanksas a pleasure-loving congressman having a hot time while fighting the cold war, finished in fourth place with $9.6 million, and the third of the newcomers, ''Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' (DreamWorks/Paramount), with Johnny Depp as the throat-slitting tonsorial artist, finished fifth with $9.3 million. Second and third places went to two of last week's debutants: ''I Am Legend'' (Warner Brothers) grossed $34.2 million, bringing its two-week total to $137.4 million, and ''Alvin and the Chipmunks'' (Fox) took in $29 million.